Maidenhair tree, gingko
Ginkgo biloba
In the wild it only grows in several mountain dales in one Chinese province. It is, however, frequently planted near Buddhist monasteries (as one of the 5 holy trees of that religion). It can live up to a few thousand years.
Its fan-shaped leaves with a characteristic notch in the middle cannot be mistaken for the leaves of any other plant, and they turn splendidly yellow in the autumn.
Gingko seeds are considered as a delicacy in Asia. Apart from the more than 30-year-old specimen by the drive, Penderecki also planted two others of the ragged-leaved variety at the back of the manor.